Mary J. Blige was offered Rihanna's smash hit Umbrella
Mary J. Blige revealed that she was offered Umbrella before Rihanna, but turned it down because she didn’t think her fans would connect with it.
Mary J. Blige has revealed she turned down the chance to record Rihanna’s 2007 smash Umbrella.
The R’n’B icon says the track — written by Jay‑Z alongside producers Tricky Stewart and Kuk Harrell, with additional contributions from The‑Dream — was offered to her first, but she ultimately felt it wasn’t the right fit.
Speaking on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Blige recalled hearing an early version and struggling to picture herself on it.
She said: “All I heard was ‘eh, eh,’ and I was like, ‘Yo, my fans are gonna bug out on me if they hear me talking about eh, eh, eh.'"
When Rihanna’s version arrived, Blige felt reassured she’d made the right call, adding: “When I heard Rihanna do it, I was like, ‘See, it was for Rihanna… it wasn’t for me.’”
Umbrella went on to become one of the defining hits of the decade, topping charts in 19 countries and earning a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2008. In the UK, its chart run famously coincided with weeks of heavy rain and flooding, and it became one of the most‑played radio tracks of the 2000s.
The song’s journey didn’t begin with either Blige or Rihanna. The‑Dream has previously said he originally wrote Umbrella with Britney Spears in mind.
The‑Dream shared on Drink Champs in 2017: “That record was written out of pure pressure in life.
“Not being broke and not having certain things, I was okay then. I can say I had a music career at that point in time. I was getting checks out of the game. I had a publishing deal. It clicked. It’s almost like having an out-of-body experience. I watched myself walk in and write that record. The record was written for Britney Spears.”
However, Spears' team turned it down as they didn't see its chart potential.
Rihanna then got wind of the track and claimed it.
The-Dream went on: “I guess [Rihanna] heard about the record.
“She was out at the Grammys. We hadn’t even cut the record yet. She walked up to my manager and said ‘that’s my f*****' record!’ Of course when I heard she had said that in that way, I said ‘that’s the mutha**** who should have the record.’”
